Chapter 6 | Chapter 8
On the edge of what humankind calls its solar system lies a ring of swirling, gaseous debris. A mini-nebulae of color and beauty, stretched into a ring by the laws of the physical universe. Scientists, as is their habit, have given it a rather bizarre name:
The Oort Cloud.
Discovered by scientists only within the last few decades, they began to theorize how it came to be. Popular opinion is that during the formation of the solar system, around the time Sol ignited, the growing gravity-well pulled in the surrounding "flotsam" that happened to be floating by. Most of what was pulled in became the planets that mankind are so familiar with. The remaining "leftovers" were left to drift about. Over time, they coalesced into the universe's view of 'ring-around-the-collar'. As it was said, this was the popular opinion at this time.
The real reason for its existence, however, is far more interesting.
--Excerpt from "Galactic Truths, Universal Lies"
by Dana M. Scully
*/Orbital "Halcyon + ON + ON" Mortal Kombat: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack */ (this is BGM for those that wonder ^_^)
"We'll be reaching OCC in seven minutes, Boss."
"Thanks, Ai."
The two voices were incongruous to their surroundings, considering the human viewpoint. They were both spoken at a point far past Pluto, within the vacuum of space, and the owners of those voices were currently traveling at speeds that would give even John Glenn the screaming willies. For most, it would be unthinkable to be able to accomplish such a thing.
To the Raven's Claw and her occupants, this was a walk to the corner store.
The captain/owner/friend of the Raven's Claw sat back comfortably, admiring the swirling expanse of color that presently occupied the main viewer of the bridge. Dressed in his casual wear--jeans and a light sweatshirt--he didn't try to pay attention to any one spot. He just let his mind drift as what he dubbed 'the ultimate trip-toy' worked its magic, drug-free.
Richard Woodward, Rich to his friends, Mr. PleaseDon'tHurtMe to those who weren't, and Special Operative of the White Shields of Jurai, stretched on his command couch. He had thrown out the command chair that was originally part of the bridge and replace d it with a plush, beige monstrosity that could easily seat four, seven if they were all good friends. The last thing he wanted was to project a stiff, stuffed-shirt attitude. Rich was good at his work, so he was allowed his eccentricities. Besides, walking around with Captain Kirk's posture had absolutely no appeal.
He'd only woken up about an hour ago. Ai had awakened him gently(she only used 1000 volts) and he let Pai sleep a little longer as the cyber-entity's voice firmly ushered him into a shower and the eating of breakfast, and now he simply waited until they reached their destination. He still felt a bit groggy, though. The dark-haired passenger didn't get as much sleep as he had planned, thanks to the unannounced arrival and 'antics' of his...
What?
....S.O.?
...Fiancee'?
...Did it really matter?
That thought made him smile. Whatever word was used, they were Together, and that was all that mattered. Unfortunately, it would be only another eighty-nine days and change until their 'work' separated them again. Then again, time wouldn't dare fly when Pai was having fun. And from what he could tell, she was planning on them both having a lot of it.
[Hell of a way to go...] he mused, snickering to himself.
(What was that, pink-boy?}
Whoops.
[Um...Just admiring the view outside, Pai.]
(A likely story. Love you, too.} She gave him the telepathic equivalent of a peck on the cheek. {I'll be in the tub for a bit and then I'll join you. Give OCC a wave for me.}
[Will do. Roger, over and out.]
(Heh.}
"REEEEAATCH!!"
"Guaahhhhh--!"
The young man shot up like a ramrod, throwing himself instinctively over the back of the command couch as the sound of someone trying very hard not to laugh(and failing miserably) reached his ears. Cursing rather loudly, he picked himself up from the deck and shot a cold glare at the screen.
"Are we awake, now, sleepy-head?" chided Ai from a little window at the corner of the picture. She was wearing her customary outfit with a small addition; a small, pink apron that read "KISS THE SHIP" with a heart shape below its text.
"Yes. Quite. Thank you ever so much," he drawled. "I hope there was a reason for that."
The young face grinned impishly. "Do I ever need one?"
"Touche'."
Ai's image flickered into full-screen. "Well, to be honest, you looked like you were dozing off again, and you want to be alert for OCC." She winked. "Not to mention it being funny as hell."
"Well, for your information, I was talking to Pai," he snarled.
"Oh." Her visage was pensive for a moment, her eyes downcast. He could've kicked himself. She was only trying to help, and she was never truly vicious about her pranks on him. So he settled for looking sheepish.
After a moment, she brightened. "Well, we're almost there. How's about we give them a ring? And no, we don't know them that well."
Rich snorted, his reply parried before he could respond. "Sure, why not? Get them on the horn...and, Ai?"
"Mm?"
"Sorry...I shouldn't have snapped at you."
"I know you are, dear." Ai smiled sweetly and vanished, reverting the screen to it's previous scene of the Cloud, leaving a slightly confused Rich to boot.
He shrugged after a bit and lets his eyes wander over the screen again, smirking slightly. As a kid he'd visited a planetarium, Moorehead if he remembered the name correctly, and listened as the intelligent-sounding narrator described the sight he now saw for real. How it had taken millions of years to form. How it marked the boundary of our solar system. Well, he'd been right about one thing...it was a boundary. But as to its age...
He chuckled slightly and wondered how many scientists would have a fit when they learned that the Oort Cloud was artificial.
That, and barely a century old.
Around the 1900's, when Marconi had sent his first radio signal across the English Channel, humans were too busy worrying about each other rather than the stars around them. Far too concerned with internal greed and lust for power , their race was still young in the scale of the cosmos. Yet, even then, it was evident that this particular race was destined for greater things...
If they survived.
If humankind destroyed itself, then it was of no consequence. Socio-galactic Darwinism, if you will. But there were other factors to consider. As with the nations of the Earth, there were hostile races in the galaxy. Races that would have no qualms about using its superior technology--read, weapons--for its conquest. And so, while Earth was still ignorant of its predicament, a shield was put into place. Just outside of the solar rim, its purpose was to protect our solar system from these hostile forces.
As Earth's technology progressed, slowly becoming aware of what was out there, a modification was made. Now it intercepts and monitors all transmissions that pass through it. It was thought if humans were to realize the truth prematurely, it would affect their natural growth and progress, most likely for the worst. What would you do if you suddenly found yourself surrounded by many different people that you'd never seen before, some not even remotely human-looking?
The shield was camoflauged from human telescopes, and deep-space probes...well, let's just say that all the data transmitted from them were happily supplied by beings with only humankind's best interests at heart. The human race will have to wait until i t's older. In about, say, four more years.
[That's funny. Ai should've gotten hold of them by now...]
"Ai? Have you contacted OCC yet?"
"Sorry, Boss," Ai's exasperated voice replied. "All I've been getting is interference."
"Open a channel, would you?" A small noise announced her compliance. "OCC, this is JSNV Raven's Claw. Respond."
Silence.
"Oort Cloud Control, this is Jurian Space-Naval Vessel Raven's Claw. Respond, please!"
Still nothing. This, he told himself, Does Not Bode Well.
"Mebbe they're out to lunch?" Ai offered.
"OCC is never left un-manned! What kind of..." he trailed off as he felt his skin suddenly begin to crawl. He could almost feel the hair on the back of his neck begin to rise. "Oh, shit...."
*/ Pink Floyd "The Dogs of War"(intro) A Momentary Lapse of Reason*/
"Boss? BOSS? What's wrong?"
His eyes were drawn of their own accord to the screen. The swirling gases simply hung there, masking what was inside. Inside? Hidden? No response from OCC. Can't see inside. Suddenly, he was hit with an overwhelming desire to...to...quack? No...duck. Duck?!
"Ai, Z-minus 1000 meters! NOW!"
The ship-mistress took a few cycles of her cyber-matrix to ponder a 'What the hell?', two more to analyze his increased heart-rate and brain-wave activity, and another three to collaberate her data with previous episodes of what he had called 'danger sense'. She then formulated a response. All in a few microseconds.
"HANG ON!"
Maneuvering thrusters flared to white-hot life as two bright, multi-colored comets broke free of the gaseous confines and streaked towards them. His eyes identified them in an instant. [Plasma torps!] A direct hit would only slightly cripple them. Two, however..
Rich felt his stomach lurch upward and his heels leave the deck as the ship's sudden inertia began to battle against the artificial gravity. "I don't care if I have to kiss the ceiling! Just as long as we evade those damn things! And get those shields up, just in case!" he yelled over the thunderous vibrations, his eyes glued to the projectiles, hoping to stare them into sluggishness.
The torpedos slowly--too slowly, dammit!--traveled up the main screen as Ai pushed the maneuvering jets far past their perscribed tolerances. Rich could almost hear her strain with the effort as the distance between shortened, then stopped, then slowly begin to widen. Just a bit more and...
He then felt a jerk as a tertiary thruster blew, then a secondary, unable to cope with the stresses. Ai shut them down, then quickly began compensating for the sudden change in pitch. Agonizing seconds ticked by, until finally:
"We're clear!" Ai appeared, sounding rather winded. "They'll pass us by completely at 800 meters positive-Z and burn out before they make Neptune orbit." She smiled weakly. "Thanks for the warning, Bwana. That would've really hurt."
Rich released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "You and me both, luv." He allowed himself a sigh of relief as he watched the two deadly missles pass harmlessly overhead.
They exploded.
"FUCK!!" He was pitched forward as the ship rocked violently from the twin blasts, getting a face-full of deck plating for his troubles. He got up slowly, shaking his head painfully, then snapped to full alertness. Whatever fired those things would want to make sure they hit their mark.
"Ai? Ai, damage report!" A pause. "C'mon, girl, gimme a pulse!" he pleaded.
"Ouch. *cough* I've been better." Ai's image flickered on. She was fully integrated throughout the ship, and any damage to the ship was reflected in her appearance. In human terms, she looked only slightly singed, but sported a rather nasty-looking bruise on her left cheek. "Shields at 26% and rising. Self-repair systems are still online. Nothing that I can't heal from, except..."
"Good," he cut her off, already in a dead-sprint from the bridge, down the corridor. He shouted over the hammering of his heart. "Keep your eyes open for any incoming craft, hostile or otherwise. Re-engage cloak and wait for my instructions." A look of suffused rage crossed his face for a moment, then was replaced by a mask of professionalism. As he stalked/ran down the hall to the turboshaft, controlled anger roiled out of him like a wave of bile. Anger at those who tried to kill them, and at himself.
[Proximity sensors], he told himself. He should have known. [No one can target a ship through the Oort, even _if_ OCC was downed. Which means someone's eye-balling us right now, just outside of visibility. Sloppy, sloppy, SLOPPY!]
{What in the Four Hells is going _on_?!?!} Pai's mind sent forcefully, almost sending him reeling. He stopped berating himself and focused on his guest. [Someone decided to take a potshot at us, OCC is not responding, and I'm stepping out to invoke some righteous pain on the shitheads who tried to do us in.] Then, with a cruel smirk forming on his lips, [Want in?]
{Damn right I do! They got soap in my eyes! Meet you in the bay.} With that, his link with her faded in to the background of his thoughts, and he resumed his march to the launch bay. Now, instead of a cold mask, he wore a much more chilling visage: an cruel smile of eagerness. Those who knew Rich feared this face and the dark promises it held, for this was the face reserved for those who were stupid enough to hurt his friends, and Gods help those who did that.
[Whoever you are, asshole, you just screwed with the wrong man.]
If you want to know what I do everyday, the constant tends to be I get up and go to the 